What’s Your Why? Finding Your True Motivation to Getting Healthy

The beginning of every relationship I build with a new client starts with talking to them about their goals. When I ask, “what are your goals?” usually the answer has something to do with “lose X amount of lbs.,” “tone up,” or “I just want to look better than I do now.” Sound familiar? These look like good goals on the surface, but they are just that “surface goals”, they mean almost nothing.

Think about it, why do you do almost everything that you do? It’s emotion isn’t it? When you buy something it’s usually based on emotion, when you spend time with friends your family it’s because of emotional ties, when you go on vacation, again, it’s an emotional experience. Everything that is important to us as human beings is only meaningful because we have an emotional bond to it.

If emotion drives us, why do we approach our health with such an emotionless goal as “I want to tone up?” If you want to be successful at losing weight, or anything else in life you have to form an emotional attachment bonded so tightly to your heart that you refuse to fail.

Human beings have something no other animal has, we have a thing called imagination, and it’s the only way to form that emotional attachment to the future (your goal). Take a couple of minutes in a quiet place to imagine. Close your eyes, and envision what your life will feel like when you’ve reached your goals. Not just what you’ll look like, but what you’ll be doing. Play with your kids or grandkids in a way you have never been able to because of your health. Smell the scents in the air, feel the ground under your feet, notice the way people look at you. Feel yourself present at your goal. Don’t stop that vision until it’s so real that you have goosebumps on your skin, and tears are rolling down your face.

That’s your goal, that’s your dream, that’s who you will be, and THAT is your “Why”. Every time you want to stop repeat the step above and reconnect that emotional bond. Now go out there and make your “Why” a reality!